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Bumper corn crop set a record
By Michelle Koetters
mkoetters@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON — McLean County corn yields set a record in 2007.

The county produced an average of 196 bushels of corn per acre last year, according to the Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service preliminary county yield averages released Friday.

The average yield topped its previous best tally of 185 bushels in 2004.

“As a countywide average, 196 (bushels per acre) is fantastic,” said Brian Lambert, agriculture programs coordinator for the McLean County Extension, noting the mixture of very good soil types as well as some lower quality land in the county.

Corn yields throughout Central Illinois really show the impact of new hybrids and improved seed technology, said John Hawkins, spokesman for the Illinois Farm Bureau. Weather also played a role in the high corn yields and stable soybean results, Hawkins said.

In a year where farmers nationwide planted more corn acres to meet ramped-up demand for ethanol, Central Illinois corn yields ranged from 186 bushels per acre in LaSalle County to 204 bushels in Woodford County. The state averaged 175 bushels an acre of corn while the national average was 151.1 bushels.

Area soybean yields ranged from 46 bushels an acre in LaSalle County to 54 bushels in DeWitt, McLean and Woodford counties. Those figures were higher than the state’s average of 43 bushels an acre and the national average of 41.2 bushels.

While McLean County ranks first in corn production in Illinois at 77,224,000 bushels, farmers in Woodford County recorded the highest average yield in the state. A total above 200 bushels of corn an acre is a standard goal for farmers, Hawkins said.

“Ten years ago, that would have been unheard of,” he said. “It would have been a pipedream 20 years ago.”

Several years ago, after a week or two of hot, dry weather, farmers could expect to see a 20 bushel to 40 bushel an acre yield hit to their corn crop, Hawkins said. While weather still plays a role today, farmers see less and less adverse impact from nature, including insect problems, he said.

The consistent soybean yields — McLean County has yielded an average of 54 bushels of soybeans an acre for five of the past six years — tell a similar story.

Weather conditions during corn’s growing season were more favorable than the hot and dry August weather that held the soybean crop from reaching its potential. Soybean yields were still good, just not as great as corn, Hawkins and Lambert agreed.

Livingston County produced more soybeans than the rest of the state, 12,561,000 bushels. McLean County ranked second with 11,826,000 bushels.

All that corn and beans also carries a high price tag.

At an average September cash price of $3.21 a bushel, the corn crop was worth $247,889,040, according to the McLean County Extension. At an average September price of $8.32 a bushel, soybeans totaled $98,392,320.

Final yield numbers will be released in early March; few if any changes are expected in the data.



Corn, soybean yields



Central Illinois corn and soybean yields in 2007 were among the area’s best totals. Here’s a look at area county yield averages.

Corn



County...Yield per acre

LaSalle...186 bushels

DeWitt...187 bushels

Logan...197 bushels

McLean...196 bushels

Tazewell...191 bushels

Woodford...204 bushels

Ford...187 bushels

Livingston...189 bushels...

Soybeans



County...Yield per acre

LaSalle...46 bushels

DeWitt...54 bushels

Logan...50 bushels

McLean...54 bushels

Tazewell...53 bushels

Woodford...54 bushels

Ford...53 bushels

Livingston...53 bushels

SOURCE: United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service; Illinois Agricultural Statistics

Take a look
Doug Wilson of Gridley, drives empty grain wagons off the Ruff Brothers Grain Company scale at Long Point, during a long day of hauling grain on Wednesday Sept. 19, 2007. Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY
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Reader comments on this story - 4 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

hmmh wrote on Feb 17, 2008 8:53 AM:

" I don't think ethanol production was the success some hoped for. That is okay just let us move on and not make a bad situation worse (like the coliseum which for some reason comes to mind also.) Too often because of stubbornness and pride people do not want to adjust or admit problems. This also brings to mind our security bill and the NCLB. Instead of throwing everything out at once, let us work together and make the necessary changes to help it work to max. Then maybe we would have a more cohesive, happier country. "

Social Services wrote on Feb 16, 2008 10:48 PM:

" Just wait until they add up the Federal food stamps that farmers get with all the farm subsidies. It should be a great year! "

no need wrote on Feb 16, 2008 10:03 PM:

" we do not need any more subdivisions.There will be plenty of homes on the market from foreclousers.We need to keep the farm land to produce corn to produce ethanol to feed the SUV'S "

Subdivision wrote on Feb 16, 2008 12:34 PM:

" We need a new Subdivision on some of this great soil....we've managed to move out on a lot of good land, might as well continue uninterrupted. "
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